RAW 1286: January 15, 2018
Titus Worldwide vs. The Bar Again! After Cesaro & Sheamus suffered an upset loss to Titus O’Neil & Apollo Crews last week, The Bar got a rematch looking to regain some ground in advance of their Raw Tag Team Title rematch against Seth Rollins & Jason Jordan at the Royal Rumble event. And for the second week in a row, Titus Worldwide claimed a win, though they do have Jason Jordan to thank for the assist. The combination of Crews’ athleticism and O'Neil's power had given Titus Worldwide an edge, though The Bar managed to battle back. They’d even learned from their mistakes, thwarting the same sequence that cost them the match last week. But right as they were about to execute a tandem maneuver to dispatch Crews, Jordan’s music hit, and Crews rolled up a distracted Sheamus for a win that left The Bar quite dismayed — to say nothing of Seth Rollins, who emerged atop the ramp to scold his partner for interfering in the match. Asuka vs. Nia Jax Last week, Nia Jax jumped Asuka from behind, putting her (and every Superstar in the Women’s Royal Rumble Match) on notice and earning herself a match against The Empress of Tomorrow. Jax posed the most formidable challenge yet to Asuka’s undefeated streak, but thanks to a flawless game plan and a little bit of luck, the former NXT Women’s Champion rolled on, and Jax officially joined the ranks of the fallen — with an asterisk. Jax unsurprisingly relied on her power, looking to impose her will on the cruelly clever Empress of Tomorrow. But Asuka had her opponent scouted perfectly, whittling away at The Irresistible Force with a variety of torturous submissions — an octopus here, an armbar there — and, later, her speed, to sap Jax of her strength. It seemed Asuka would earn herself a count-out win after trapping Jax’s leg between the steel steps and the ring post. But while Jax barely beat the count back into the ring, the referee was forced to call the match off due to injury. The sight of the hobbled Jax even brought Raw Women’s Champion Alexa Bliss — the same woman who tried to pit Asuka against Jax in the first place — to assist her to the locker room, though Nia turned down care from The Goddess in favor of another Superstar: Enzo Amore. Sonya Deville vs. Sasha Banks Due to a neck injury, Paige will be unable to compete in the first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble Match. That said, Absolution doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, as Sonya Deville got her first singles victory in WWE at the expense of Sasha Banks as the historic contest approaches. Deville showcased her pinpoint timing and punishing power in the surprisingly quick victory, wrapping The Boss up in an array of submissions and dropping her with a savage kick to the stomach as Banks came off the turnbuckle. RAW Fallout Results * Titus O'Neil & Apollo Crews (w/ Dana Brooke) defeated The Bar (Sheamus & Cesaro) (9:30) * Asuka defeated Nia Jax via match stoppage (10:40) * Sonya Deville (w/ Paige & Mandy Rose) defeated Sasha Banks (w/ Bayley & Mickie James) (2:25) Category:Monday Night RAW Category:2018 television episodes Category:Alexa Bliss Category:Asuka Category:Bayley Category:Charly Caruso Category:Dana Brooke Category:Mandy Rose Category:Mickie James Category:Nia Jax Category:Paige Category:Sasha Banks Category:Sonya Deville